Online Reporter
Golden Sibanda in Maputo, Mozambique
THERE has been strong interest in the banana chips exhibited by Valley Shark at the ongoing Maputo International Trade Fair (FACIM) 2026, which could see Manicaland farmers breaking ground in the Mozambican export market, a senior official has said.
Mozambican President Daniel Chapo officially opened the fair, which started August 31 and ended yesterday, promising to press ahead with reforms to eliminate complications and improve the business environment in the country.
He argued that only by increasing domestic production and reducing imports would the foreign-exchange problem be resolved.
Zimbabwean companies at FACIM 2026 showcased products across manufactured goods, processed foods, agricultural commodities, building materials, transport and logistics, engineering solutions and arts and crafts, among others.
The annual exhibition provided Zimbabwean companies with a strategic platform to unlock new export markets, secure more buyers and forge stronger business partnerships in one of Zimbabwe’s most important regional export routes and destinations.
Mozambique’s premier multi-sector trade fair attracts businesses, investors, government officials and buyers from across Africa and beyond, creating opportunities for exhibitors to expand their regional and international reach.
Valley Sharks, one of 20 Zimbabwean companies exhibiting at the 61st edition of FACIM under the ZimTrade pavilion, is a Manicaland banana farmers’ union formed in 2023 to address the problem of post-harvest losses and other market constraints.
Banana farmers in Honde Valley used to experience post-harvest losses estimated at between 25 per cent and 30 per cent of their total smallholder produce, while poor roads and limited transport often forced them to sell at whatever price middlemen offered — or let their harvest go to waste.
Following the establishment of the banana processing factory, even partly damaged bananas can now be processed into value-added crisps with a longer shelf life.
Valley Sharks was also formed to address issues around the unfair prices that farmers were being subjected to by middlemen.
The Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development responded by setting up a banana processing factory in Honde Valley, which is owned by farmers through Valley Sharks.
The farmers’ union, which started production in August this year, represents about 3 000 small-scale banana farmers. In Zimbabwe, Valley Sharks has already secured distributorship arrangements with major dealers such as Mega Markets and Silo, a subsidiary of the Grain Marketing Board.
Valley Sharks was established with funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and technical support from the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Its manufacturing plant in Honde Valley, Manicaland Province, has processing capacity of eight tonnes per day during peak periods.
Speaking in an interview at FACIM, the ministry’s Manicaland provincial development officer, Mr Gabriel Jaji, said there had been strong interest in the banana chips at FACIM 2026, with many potential buyers commenting that the banana chips were very different from the potato chips they are used to.
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Mr Jaji said that at FACIM, they had received a lot of positive comments from potential buyers who tasted the product, noting, “They are used to potato crisps; there are no banana crisps in Mozambique.”
“We are here exhibiting on behalf of Valley Sharks, which is an agricultural union that was established by the ministry in partnership with the African Development Bank and with technical support from the International Labour Organisation.
“The enterprise (Valley Sharks) is involved in the value addition of bananas, so we are producing banana crisps. We are here to look for external markets.
“We understand that in Zimbabwe we have already secured some markets, but we are here on an outward mission whereby we want to export the banana crisps to Mozambique.
“There is high demand for the banana crisps, and a lot of distributors are flocking to our stand here at FACIM, looking for opportunities to move the brand from Honde Valley into the Mozambican market.
“Representatives from all the provinces of Mozambique are touring our stand looking for potential memoranda of understanding, so that we can start to export the product.
“As Government, we take pride in this because we are ensuring that we are export-oriented and contribute to our GDP by increasing the export envelope.
“They [potential buyers] have shown interest in partnering with us and moving our product to Mozambique. There is a lot of appetite for banana crisps. It is new to this country.”
Mr Jaji also said there was high demand for the banana crisps from high-end retail shoppers who love them.
“Overall, the Ministry of Women Affairs is also here to support our SMEs. We have been supporting our SMEs to gain exposure to international markets.
“We are proud to report that we have managed to secure some markets, and it is also going to promote the competitiveness of our domestic industry, knowing that SMEs in Zimbabwe are contributing more than 60 percent of our national GDP and more than 80 percent of national employment.
“Therefore, we need to remain export-oriented and explore more international markets so that we bring Zimbabwean products to international markets, especially products being produced by SMEs, and hand-hold our SMEs so that they are not afraid to explore international markets.”
Mr Jaji said the factory in Honde Valley had improved agronomic practices for enhanced quality and had also increased banana production by farmers, boosting their household incomes.
“Currently we are producing three main flavours: barbecue smoke, salted crisps and chilli-flavoured crisps,” he said.
Commenting on the positive impact of beneficiation, he said, “The processing plant is contributing positively to the national vision enunciated through National Development Strategy 2, which also speaks to value addition and beneficiation.
“Our farmers are benefiting a lot, since they own the plant and are witnessing the processing of their product in Honde Valley. The factory also recruited workers from the community who are providing technical expertise in managing the plant, marketing, costing and engineering,” he said.
At peak, the plant processes over 40 tonnes of raw bananas per week.
Helping small and medium enterprises is strategically key to growing Zimbabwe’s economy because they drive the vast majority of gross domestic product (over 60 percent), employment (over 80 percent) and daily commercial activity.
ZimTrade has been facilitating the participation of Zimbabwean companies at FACIM as part of the national push to expand exports and strengthen regional trade ties in a rapidly growing market.
The initiative supports Zimbabwe’s export-led growth strategy and economic diplomacy agenda.
The participation also follows commitments made at the Zimbabwe–Mozambique Bi-National Commission to improve trade routes and cross-border partnerships.
Zimbabwe’s exports to Mozambique rose by 4 percent from US$255.1 million in 2024 to US$266.2 million in the previous year, backed by the ZimTrade national export drive.
